Vander Blue Out for Season With Achilles Tear
The former Lakers guard will miss the entire 2026-27 G League season after tearing his Achilles tendon during Grand Rapids Gold training camp.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Basketball
Vander Blue, a 34-year-old former Los Angeles Lakers guard, tore his Achilles tendon toward the end of training camp with the Grand Rapids Gold. He will miss the entire 2026-27 G League season.
Why it matters
The injury removes a veteran scorer from the Grand Rapids Gold roster for the full season. Blue has not played in the NBA since the 2017-18 season, so his G League production had been his main professional pathway.
Blue has averaged 20.2 points across 239 career G League appearances, shooting 43.1% from the field and 34.4% from three. His 2014-15 season with the D-Fenders included a 23.3-point average across 49 games.
The players
Vander Blue
Vander Blue is a former Los Angeles Lakers guard who won the 2017 NBA D-League MVP award and has played 239 career G League games.
Grand Rapids Gold
The Grand Rapids Gold is the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets and the team Blue joined for training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The details
Blue tore his Achilles tendon toward the end of training camp, ahead of the 2026-27 season. Blue went undrafted in 2013 and rose to prominence with the Los Angeles D-Fenders, earning the 2017 NBA D-League MVP award before his NBA stints.
Timeline
2013: Blue goes undrafted.
2014-15 season: Blue averages 23.3 points in D-League play.
April 2015: Lakers call Blue up through a hardship exemption.
2017-18 season: Blue returns to the Lakers for five appearances.
2026-27 season: Blue misses the entire season due to his Achilles injury.
Season Trajectory
Blue's injury comes after a long development path that began with the Lakers' 2015 hardship-exemption call-up. The loss removes an experienced scorer from the Grand Rapids roster and reshapes the team's depth for a season in which he was expected to contribute.
Fantasy managers tracking Blue will need to remove him from rosters for the 2026-27 G League season. The Grand Rapids Gold will need to replace his scoring output for the full year.
The takeaway
Injuries can end a player's season before it starts, and for veteran G League players, a single setback can close off a long-shot path back to the NBA. Following team injury reports offers the most reliable updates on roster changes.
Further reading
Follow more coverage in Basketball for updates on G League rosters and player status.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Heavy.
